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‘The general advice is that neither people nor objects, including animals, should be unrestrained when travelling in vehicles.’

In Britain, motorists can be fined and may be
subjected to penalty points for driving without due care and attention,
if an animal in the vehicle is distracting the driver

The Irish Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) today backed Mr Varadkar, saying putting
dogs in a harness can save lives.

'If you have a child in
the car, even a reasonably sized dog can come through like a missile and
you have 30kg, 40kg, 50kg or 60kg going around the cabin. It could
cause terrible damage,’ ISPCA chief executive Noel Griffin told the
Irish Independent.

‘There's not a day goes by when I don't see a dog sitting in the front seat of a car with its head out the window.

'Nobody's trying to be a spoilsport, but ultimately losing the family pet could be the consequence.’

In the UK, the Welfare of Animals in Transport Order prohibits owners from transporting their pets in any way that 'causes, or is likely to cause, injury or unnecessary suffering to that animal'.

In the case of dogs, the RSPCA recommends that they are kept both secure and comfortable during transport, using a harness, travelling crate or a container.

'It is important that a dog is suitably restrained in a vehicle so that it doesn’t distract the driver or injure them if the vehicle stops quickly,' an RSPCA spokesman told MailOnline.

'When transporting your dog in a crate or container, you should ensure that it has enough room to sit and stand up at full height, turn around easily and lie down in a natural position.

'You should also ensure that your dog is able to see out of the container and that there is enough ventilation and suitable bedding should be placed on the floor to prevent the dog from slipping around during the journey.'

The Irish Department of Transport has yet to confirm whether any legislation preventing owners from keeping their pets unsecured in the cabin may be introduced.